In the past, belts have been utilized as part of the drive train for driving the needle bars of tufting machines from the main drive shaft. Examples of such drive systems which utilize belts are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,845 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,445. Such tufting machines, however, have had conventional looper drive systems which employ eccentric cams which drive straps for reciprocating the loopers. Such straps are quite heavy and have materially contributed to the unbalancing of the tufting machine. Such straps are infinitely adjustable and, therefore are difficult to adjust by the same amounts so that the straps at both ends of a looper shaft apply equal torque.